When this photo was taken in early May, the incinerator at Pockwood Pond had been out of commission for weeks, officials said at the time. They hope it will be operational again in less than a month. File photo: TODD VANSICKLE

The waste incinerator at Pockwood Pond, which has been shut down since mid-April, will likely be operational within a month, according to Greg Massicote, manager at the Department of Waste Management.

When this photo was taken in early May, the incinerator at Pockwood Pond had been out of commission for weeks, officials said at the time. They hope it will be operational again in less than a month. File photo: TODD VANSICKLE
The incinerator had a mechanical failure and required a speciality part, called a “tap-in,” to be shipped in from a manufacturer. The tap-in is responsible for maintaining the temperature within the system, according to Mr. Massicote.

On April 18, a United States company called Consutech Systems LLC inked a nearly $40,000 contract with the Ministry of Health and Social Development for the part.

In early May, Mr. Massicote said he was hopeful Consutech would ship the part soon. However, the manufacturer had a delay on one of the part’s components and is just putting the finishing touches on it now, he said.

After speaking with the company on Tuesday, Mr. Massicote said Consutech is planning to ship the part sometime next week, and it should arrive two to three weeks later. Once it arrives, installation will take three days, and then the incinerator will be up and running again, he said.

Mr. Massicote said his department has tried to make the best of a bad situation, working to replace other components on the incinerator that have shown wear and tear while it has not been operational.

“We’ve used the downtime to the best of our abilities,” he said.

The department has been digging landfill sites by the hill behind the incinerator to bury trash and reduce the risk of spontaneous waste fires, Mr. Massicote added.

Once the incinerator begins working again, they will dump the ash from it far away from the landfill to ensure the risk of spontaneous fires remains low, he added.

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